Our Therapists
Kathryn Dunigan
Licensed Clinical Social Worker – LCSW
Kathryn is a licensed clinical social worker, certified grief counselor, and co-owner of Always Hope Counseling with her husband, David. She is passionate about coming alongside individuals and couples as they navigate life’s challenges, transitions, and uncertainties, offering support, encouragement, and practical tools to help them grow, heal, and find their way forward.
Kathryn takes an integrative, client-centered approach to therapy, combining Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), grief counseling interventions, somatic and mindfulness-based practices, self-compassion work, and Christian faith integrated approaches. She brings a natural and empathetic style while tailoring therapy to each client’s needs, creating a safe space for insight, healing, and growth.
Born and raised in Indiana, Kathryn earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology and later completed her Master of Social Work at the University of Southern Indiana. Her professional background is rooted in service, including serving as the Executive Director at The Literacy Center in Evansville, as Adult Ministries Director at a 500+ member Methodist church, clinical training at Deaconess Hospice, adjunct teaching at USI, and participation on multiple state-level leadership teams. As an author, Kathryn has written multiple articles, contributed to publications and books, continues writing and publishing reflections on her social media pages, and is currently working on her first book.
As a cancer survivor, Kathryn brings both professional expertise and lived experience to her work, supporting individuals and families through grief, anxiety and depression, life transitions, relationship challenges, and serious illness. She works with adult individuals and couples of all ages and stages of life.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, processing loss, struggling with anxiety, or hoping to strengthen your relationship with yourself or others, Kathryn invites you to schedule an appointment—either in person or online. She would be honored to walk alongside you, support you, helping you find hope and dig for joy.
Jean A. Wilson
Licensed Clinical Social Worker – LCSW
Jean holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Southern Indiana, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a long-term member of the American Association of Christian Counselors.
Jean has been counseling, encouraging, and helping clients for over 21 years, specializing in Marriage and Family Therapy, Abuse, Addiction, Anxiety and Depression.
In addition to working in her private practice, Jean has worked in the University of Southern Indiana’s counseling center, has volunteered her time at a residential addictions treatment center, has actively participated in jail ministry, and worked as an adjunct instructor for 17 years.
Jean utilizes solution focused treatment approaches, as well as cognitive behavioral therapies in conjunction with a Biblical worldview and treatment approach. She works with clients to identify and challenge their false beliefs, identify their strengths while helping them pave a positive path forward
Jean is married with 5 adult children, 2 adopted, and has experience as a foster parent.
Abigail Mason
Licensed Clinical Social Worker – LCSW
Abigail Mason is a dedicated mental health professional with a strong background in community mental health. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Hanover College and later pursued a master’s in Social Work from the University of Southern Indiana. Abigail’s decision to return to her hometown of Evansville for her studies reflects her commitment to her community and her desire to make a positive impact on the lives of its residents.
Throughout her six years of experience in the field, Abigail has developed a compassionate and client-centered approach to therapy. She is passionate about helping individuals overcome life’s challenges and barriers to well-being. Abigail is well-versed in evidence-based practices and possesses a deep understanding of the complexities of mental health.
Abigail’s therapeutic approach emphasizes collaboration and empowerment. She works closely with her clients to foster resilience, promote self-awareness, and empower them to lead fulfilling lives. Abigail creates a safe and nurturing environment where clients feel comfortable exploring their thoughts, emotions, and experiences.
Overall, Abigail Mason is a skilled and empathetic mental health professional dedicated to providing personalized care and support to her clients in Evansville and beyond.
Lauren Coppens
Licensed Clinical Social Worker – LCSW
Lauren, a dedicated mental health therapist, was born and raised in Evansville, Indiana before embarking on her educational journey at the University of Alabama. There, she pursued her undergraduate degree in Human Development and Family Studies, fostering a deep understanding of human relationships and growth. After four enriching years, Lauren returned to her hometown, where she completed her Masters of Social Work degree at the University of Southern Indiana. During this time, she met her now-husband Tyler, and they happily settled back into Evansville life alongside their beloved dog, Leroy.
For the past six years, Lauren has been devoted to her work at Echo Community Healthcare, driven by a passion for helping children of all ages, expectant and new mothers, and families as a whole. With a heartfelt commitment to supporting underserved populations and guiding clients through childhood trauma and life’s myriad changes, Lauren brings a compassionate approach to her practice.
In her therapeutic journey, Lauren aims to empower clients by challenging negative beliefs and discovering what brings them joy and fulfillment. Recognizing the unique value in every individual she encounters, she embraces clients of all ages and cherishes the opportunity to learn from each person she meets. Lauren’s specialties include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Person-Centered Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Attachment-Based Therapy. She firmly believes in meeting individuals where they are, honoring their pursuit to be the true architects of their own lives.
With Lauren as your guide, you can expect unwavering support, a safe space for exploration, and a partnership dedicated to helping you recognize your worth and strengths. Together, you will navigate the intricacies of your journey, embracing growth, healing, and transformative change.
Christopher Miller
Licensed Clinical Social Worker – LCSW
Chris first came to southern Indiana for college in 2005 to run Cross Country and study psychology and music at Oakland City University. After Graduating in 2009 he met his wife Angela and began to work in the mental health field for a few years before deciding he wanted to pursue his passion of helping others further by getting a MSW from the University of Southern Indiana in 2013. Chris has been serving our community as a mental health therapist ever since.
Now, with more then a decade of experience Chris has been able to empower people to achieve their individual goals by utilizing stregth based perspectives and Evidence based treatments such as EMDR, CBT, DBT, ACT, IMAGO and other client centered approaches. He strongly believes when you are able to provide hope for a person and help them discover the strength they have inside of them and you mix that with the guidance of science, honor the real life experience of the client, use sound clinical experience and judgment, and hold on to faith you are able to get true and sustainable positive life change.
Chris began his clinical practice by working in community mental health clinics where he became skilled at working with people who are recovering from trauma. It was during this time he began to really understand the meaning of proverbs 13:12 “Hope deferred makes the heart grow sick, but a longing fulfilled is the tree of life.” When a person is able to find hope, there truly is nothing that can stop that person from healing and achieving what they set the goals they set their heart on. Chris then began to work for his Alma Mater USI as a counselor and help students with their mental health, life stress, and at times crisis resolution. He also continued to serve the community to help other professionals gain licensure, serve on boards, and help host a few mental health support groups. In 2020, Chris began to work part time in private practice to better meet the changing needs of his family as he was blessed with two children and likes to spend as much time with them as possible.
Chris’s main life goal is to empower people through hope. Oftentimes it is very easy to lose hope when life gets hard, relationships struggle, grief sets in, pain becomes almost unbearable, or you just feel stuck and begin to think things can never change because you have tried so hard so many times and haven’t found they way yet. What is also true about those moments in life, when you are experiencing incredible stress; is that when youcan hold onto to hope and find a way to recover, you will be truly amazed about what you can overcome, become, and how beautiful life can be.
Angie Schwengel
Licensed Mental Health Counselor – LMHC
Angie Schwengel was born in southern Indiana and continues to reside there with her husband and two children. Angie is a licensed mental health counselor in Indiana. She received her Masters of Counseling degree from Liberty University and has been practicing counseling through community and faith based counseling centers since 2008. While receiving her Master’s degree in counseling, she worked as a case manager in specialized foster care supporting foster families and children with an array of social and emotional concerns. She went on to complete her counseling degree and gain experience counseling a variety of populations including families in crisis, foster care, adoptive families, and the general community before coming to work at Crossroads Christian Church’s counseling center in 2014, which has now merged with Always Hope Counseling. During her time at Crossroads, she worked with people from within and outside the Christian faith, sometimes even working through past wounds from faith-based organizations or assisting in addressing issues of spiritual abuse.
Angie works with children and adults ages 5 and above. She is experienced in play and sand tray therapy techniques for children. She utilizes an eclectic approach with concentrations in Cognitive-Behavioral and Person-Centered methodologies with adolescents and adults. Angie’s passion is to offer a whole person approach to counseling, one that focused on Spirit, Mind, and Body and to be used by God through the counseling process to bring ultimate healing.
The decision to talk to a therapist is an important one. Angie is passionate about the freedom that can be found through the therapeutic process and is excited to meet you where you are to walk alongside you or your child on the journey of healing.
Ellen Robinson
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist – LMFT
Ellen Robinson is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a heart for helping individuals, couples, and families find healing, restoration, and renewed purpose through faith-based counseling. With five years of clinical experience, she offers a warm, compassionate presence and a deep commitment to walking alongside others in both their struggles and their victories.
Ellen earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Oakland City University and completed her graduate studies in Marriage and Family Therapy at Liberty University. Her approach is grounded in both clinical wisdom and spiritual truth, integrating biblical principles with evidence-based therapeutic practices.
Ellen believes that lasting transformation happens when we invite God into the healing process. She is passionate about creating a safe space where clients can explore their stories, grow in self-awareness, and move forward in freedom and hope. Whether navigating anxiety, relationship challenges, or personal transitions, Ellen provides care that honors the whole person — heart, mind, and spirit.
Jim Schroeder
Licensed Clinical Social Worker – LCSW LMFT
Jim Schroeder is a married family therapist with 4 adult married children and 24 grandchildren. He has worked at the United Methodist Children’s Home, Southwestern Indiana Mental Health Center, and Pain Clinics for the past 48 years.
He believes that everyone deserves and needs to verbally express their needs, significant thoughts, and feelings (26 emotions) on a daily basis.
He also believes that if those are not successfully expressed and understood, they will be exhibited in negative behaviors. And, if those needs, thoughts, and emotions are still not understood and responded to, the body will express them with DIS EASE, various pains, disorders, and physical suffering.
Relationships, along with “TIME AND ATTENTION,” and deep sleep are the key factors to emotional, physical, and mental health. Commitment and good social skills are also essential for financial, social and sexual health. Faith in God and helping the “least” is the foundation of our Spiritual Health.
The most important lesson provided to Jim by over 5,000 of his clients is this:
“SECRETS KEEP YOU SICK.”
Ann Smith
Licensed Clinical Social Worker – LCSW
Ann is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with an MSW in 2009. For the past 16 years, Ann has helped individuals, couples, and families walk through challenges with hope, clarity, and healing. She approaches therapy from a Biblical worldview, integrating Scripture and faith-based wisdom with best practice and evidence-based counseling methods such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Attachment Based Therapy, Gottman Couples Therapy, and trauma-informed care.
Ann’s goal is to reflect the love of Christ while equipping clients with practical tools for emotional, relational, and spiritual growth. She specializes in working with women, teens, and couples, addressing concerns such as anxiety, depression, abuse, grief, infidelity, relationship struggles, marriage and family, intimacy, identity, and life transitions.
With a lifetime of experience in school settings, church ministries, and private practice, Ann believes healing happens when we feel heard, safe, and supported. Whether you’re working through pain, exploring your identity, or seeking direction, she considers it a privilege to walk alongside you in your counseling journey.
Outside of counseling, Ann is a wife since 1988, mother to three married daughters, and a grandmother. She enjoys spending time with family, travelling, reading, and cooking new recipes. She has served her church in discipleship and small group leadership and draws strength daily from her relationship with Christ.
Chelsae Backes
Licensed Clinical Social Worker – LCSW
Chelsae Backes, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker who works with adults experiencing depression, anxiety, and the effects of trauma. She supports individuals who feel overwhelmed or disconnected, helping them find clarity and a renewed sense of hope.
Chelsae believes healing is possible, even in seasons that feel heavy or uncertain. She approaches therapy as a space where clients can slow down, feel supported, and better understand themselves. Through a collaborative, client-centered process, she helps individuals reconnect with their strengths, build insight, and take meaningful steps toward growth and healing.
Chelsae was drawn to the field of therapy out of a desire to help people navigate their struggles and experience restoration. She views her work as a calling—an opportunity to walk alongside others in difficult seasons and to serve with compassion. Her faith plays an important role in shaping this calling and influences the heart she brings into her work.
She earned her Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Southern Indiana and has several years of experience working in both a trauma-focused agency and private practice. Throughout her career, Chelsae has walked alongside clients through times of struggle and change, and she considers it a privilege to be part of each person’s journey toward healing and wholeness.
Outside of her work as a therapist, Chelsae enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, traveling, and worship. She believes no one has to walk through life’s challenges alone and is honored to support clients as they move toward hope, healing, and meaningful change.
Lana Bunner
Licensed Clinical Social Worker – LCSW
Lana feels that walking with people through life’s difficulties and struggles is a privileged, honor, and part of her purpose in life. She commits her life to helping people find their way back to the paths that they want to be on to live out their purpose.
Lana has been an LCSW since 2011 and has experience working with children, adolescents, adults, and families. She specializes in issues of adjustment, trauma, depression, anxiety, crisis, grief, child and adolescent behaviors, and sexual abuse. She also has experience with talking with individuals with mood and personality disorders, PTSD, and issues surrounding divorce.
In your first session together, you will get to know each other and determine what the you hope to achieve in therapy. Her only goal during this session is to help you feel welcomed and safe. She will also set goals and begin to plan the therapeutic journey. However, this may look different for each person. She will move at the pace you feel most comfortable.
Lana’s strongest strength is being open minded and meeting people right where there are, in that moment. She enjoys her job! Her goal is to help her clients feel like they are free to express themselves and ask questions. She prides herself on keeping sessions “non-doctor” like and wants you to feel like you are at home and safe in the conversation.
The clients Lana is best positioned to serve are teens through adult and she has experience working with people that are struggling with depression, self-harming tendencies, eating disorders, anxiety, abuse, and neglect. She also enjoys and works with people that have been diagnosed with having Autism. In her years of experience, she has also worked in custody disputes, with sex trafficking victims, and with personality disorders. She is upfront with her approach but gentle with her presentation.
On a more personal level, she enjoys traveling and refers to herself as a coffee connoisseur. She likes to have a plan but believes some of life’s greatest adventures are found while taking the scenic route.
Leah Houghton
Licensed Clinical Social Worker – LCSW
Only Accepting Telehealth Clients
Leah is an experienced mental health clinician having worked in outpatient, inpatient, partial hospital, Veteran’s health, and crisis settings in her 23 years of mental health work and advocacy.
Growing up near St. Louis, Leah obtained her undergraduate degree from Truman State University before moving to Kansas City to complete her Masters in Social Work degree at the University of Missouri – Kansas City. Having planned to return to St. Louis upon completing her master’s degree, she quickly decided to instead settle in Chief’s Kingdom and make the area her home after meeting her husband, a Kansas City native, while in graduate school. She and her family relocated to the Evansville area a few years ago and they have enjoyed being a part of the community.
Leah believes that we are all created in God’s image, being fearfully and wonderfully made to be a whole person – mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Her best-practice approach incorporates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Solution-Focused Therapy, and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) strategies. As Certified Integrative Mental Health Practitioner, Leah also has a sincere passion for walking the journey of healing and health with each client through discussions on healthy lifestyle choices and integrating healthy somatic strategies whenever helpful.
In a world filled with so many “what ifs,” Leah has a sincere heart for individuals experiencing grief, depression, and anxiety. She truly believes we can meet the discomfort of uncertainty that comes from living in a fallen world with confidence and practical skills for living boldly.
Edie Webb
Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate – LMHCA
Edie is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate (LMHCA) and was born and raised across the river in Owensboro, KY and loves her Kentucky Wildcats! Edie is married and has a beautiful child who reminds her daily of God’s goodness. In her spare time, Edie loves to read, watch all things UK and NFL and she loves to golf.
After graduating from Kentucky Wesleyan College, Edie attended The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and received her Masters of Divinity in Biblical Counseling. She then pursued a Masters of Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of the Cumberlands and now holds licensure in the state of Indiana.
She has a passion for helping adolescents, teens and adults find their voice and their worth while meeting each client where they are. Being raised a pastor’s daughter and now being married to a pastor, Edie can relate to the unique walk of life in ministry and has a passion for walking alongside those in vocational ministry with church hurt and fatigue. Edie is solution focused and loves to help her clients set and achieve goals! God has shown Edie time and again that He is sufficient and His power is made perfect in our weakness. For this reason, she views counseling as her opportunity to minister to those walking through life’s hard seasons pointing client’s to Christ through the counseling process.
Edie views individuals as both body and soul, and her goal in counseling is to address both the physical and spiritual components of those in her care.
Edie knows reaching out for help can be scary, but absolutely worthwhile. God has gifted her with the ability and passion of being present with others. So whether you need a listening ear, biblical wisdom, coping techniques, or someone to sit in the silence with you, Edie would love to help.
Hollie Butler
Licensed Social Worker – MSW, LSW
Hollie Butler was born and raised in Evansville, Indiana. She graduated from the University of Southern Indiana in 2005 with her Bachelors of Social Work. She graduated with her Masters of Social Work and Substance Use Disorders certificate from the University of Kentucky in May of 2024. She has worked in the field for over 20 years, the majority of that time spent working in community health. She is skilled at working with people who have experienced trauma, people with substance use disorders, and people who struggle to keep healthy boundaries in relationships. Her passion is to help individuals, couples, and families become the healthiest, happiest versions of themselves. Hollie uses a person-centered, strengths-based, trauma-informed approach to helping individuals learn to love and accept themselves and cope with life’s challenges.
Savannah Patterson
Licensed Social Worker – LSW
Savannah Patterson moved to Evansville, Indiana a decade ago to pursue her education at the University of Southern Indiana where she completed both her undergraduate and graduate studies. During this time, she gained social work experience working with various in-home social services. She previously worked in program directing, including managing grants to serve those experiencing Substance Use Disorder in the community. Savannah currently holds a Masters of Social Work and is trained in EMDR. She has worked with people who have experienced trauma, people experiencing symptoms of anxiety, depression, PTSD, people with substance use disorders, and people developing skills for maintaining healthy relationships. Savannah has a passion to help children, adults, couples, and families become the healthiest, most holistic versions of themselves they can be.
Sarah Cannon
Counseling Student Intern
Sarah was born and raised in southern Indiana. She earned her undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Southern Indiana, where she also faced—and overcame—a life-threatening cancer diagnosis. That experience sparked a deep personal resilience and strengthened her desire to live wholeheartedly and help others do the same.
A mother of three, Sarah spent several years homeschooling her children—an experience she considers one of her greatest privileges. As her children grew, so did her passion for walking alongside others in their own life journeys. Since 2018, she has taught science at Evansville Christian School. She also served in ministry roles at a local church, supporting children, teens, and families through times of growth and healing.
Sarah is currently a student intern completing her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Grace College and Seminary. Under clinical supervision, she integrates emotion-focused and cognitive behavioral therapies, as well as somatic informed approaches, into her work. With a client-centered and faith-informed approach, she is passionate about helping individuals tap into their own resilience, identify areas for growth, and move toward greater wholeness and purpose.
In her counseling, Sarah creates a safe and nonjudgmental space for clients to explore complex emotions—especially those stemming from fractured relationships or painful experiences within their communities. She is committed to helping clients process hurt, rebuild trust, and rediscover a sense of belonging and peace. Her work is grounded in empathy, spiritual insight, and a deep belief in the dignity and strength of every person she serves.
Kathryn Dunigan
Licensed Clinical Social Worker – LCSW
Kathryn is a licensed clinical social worker, certified grief counselor, and co-owner of Always Hope Counseling with her husband, David. She is passionate about coming alongside individuals and couples as they navigate life’s challenges, transitions, and uncertainties, offering support, encouragement, and practical tools to help them grow, heal, and find their way forward.
Kathryn takes an integrative, client-centered approach to therapy, combining Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), grief counseling interventions, somatic and mindfulness-based practices, self-compassion work, and Christian faith integrated approaches. She brings a natural and empathetic style while tailoring therapy to each client’s needs, creating a safe space for insight, healing, and growth.
Born and raised in Indiana, Kathryn earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology and later completed her Master of Social Work at the University of Southern Indiana. Her professional background is rooted in service, including serving as the Executive Director at The Literacy Center in Evansville, as Adult Ministries Director at a 500+ member Methodist church, clinical training at Deaconess Hospice, adjunct teaching at USI, and participation on multiple state-level leadership teams. As an author, Kathryn has written multiple articles, contributed to publications and books, continues writing and publishing reflections on her social media pages, and is currently working on her first book.
As a cancer survivor, Kathryn brings both professional expertise and lived experience to her work, supporting individuals and families through grief, anxiety and depression, life transitions, relationship challenges, and serious illness. She works with adult individuals and couples of all ages and stages of life.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, processing loss, struggling with anxiety, or hoping to strengthen your relationship with yourself or others, Kathryn invites you to schedule an appointment—either in person or online. She would be honored to walk alongside you, support you, helping you find hope and dig for joy.
Jean A. Wilson
Licensed Clinical Social Worker – LCSW
Jean holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Southern Indiana, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a long-term member of the American Association of Christian Counselors.
Jean has been counseling, encouraging, and helping clients for over 21 years, specializing in Marriage and Family Therapy, Abuse, Addiction, Anxiety and Depression.
In addition to working in her private practice, Jean has worked in the University of Southern Indiana’s counseling center, has volunteered her time at a residential addictions treatment center, has actively participated in jail ministry, and worked as an adjunct instructor for 17 years.
Jean utilizes solution focused treatment approaches, as well as cognitive behavioral therapies in conjunction with a Biblical worldview and treatment approach. She works with clients to identify and challenge their false beliefs, identify their strengths while helping them pave a positive path forward
Jean is married with 5 adult children, 2 adopted, and has experience as a foster parent.
Abigail Mason
Licensed Clinical Social Worker – LCSW
Abigail Mason is a dedicated mental health professional with a strong background in community mental health. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Hanover College and later pursued a master’s in Social Work from the University of Southern Indiana. Abigail’s decision to return to her hometown of Evansville for her studies reflects her commitment to her community and her desire to make a positive impact on the lives of its residents.
Throughout her six years of experience in the field, Abigail has developed a compassionate and client-centered approach to therapy. She is passionate about helping individuals overcome life’s challenges and barriers to well-being. Abigail is well-versed in evidence-based practices and possesses a deep understanding of the complexities of mental health.
Abigail’s therapeutic approach emphasizes collaboration and empowerment. She works closely with her clients to foster resilience, promote self-awareness, and empower them to lead fulfilling lives. Abigail creates a safe and nurturing environment where clients feel comfortable exploring their thoughts, emotions, and experiences.
Overall, Abigail Mason is a skilled and empathetic mental health professional dedicated to providing personalized care and support to her clients in Evansville and beyond.
Lauren Coppens
Licensed Clinical Social Worker – LCSW
Lauren, a dedicated mental health therapist, was born and raised in Evansville, Indiana before embarking on her educational journey at the University of Alabama. There, she pursued her undergraduate degree in Human Development and Family Studies, fostering a deep understanding of human relationships and growth. After four enriching years, Lauren returned to her hometown, where she completed her Masters of Social Work degree at the University of Southern Indiana. During this time, she met her now-husband Tyler, and they happily settled back into Evansville life alongside their beloved dog, Leroy.
For the past six years, Lauren has been devoted to her work at Echo Community Healthcare, driven by a passion for helping children of all ages, expectant and new mothers, and families as a whole. With a heartfelt commitment to supporting underserved populations and guiding clients through childhood trauma and life’s myriad changes, Lauren brings a compassionate approach to her practice.
In her therapeutic journey, Lauren aims to empower clients by challenging negative beliefs and discovering what brings them joy and fulfillment. Recognizing the unique value in every individual she encounters, she embraces clients of all ages and cherishes the opportunity to learn from each person she meets. Lauren’s specialties include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Person-Centered Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Attachment-Based Therapy. She firmly believes in meeting individuals where they are, honoring their pursuit to be the true architects of their own lives.
With Lauren as your guide, you can expect unwavering support, a safe space for exploration, and a partnership dedicated to helping you recognize your worth and strengths. Together, you will navigate the intricacies of your journey, embracing growth, healing, and transformative change.
Christopher Miller
Licensed Clinical Social Worker – LCSW
Chris first came to southern Indiana for college in 2005 to run Cross Country and study psychology and music at Oakland City University. After Graduating in 2009 he met his wife Angela and began to work in the mental health field for a few years before deciding he wanted to pursue his passion of helping others further by getting a MSW from the University of Southern Indiana in 2013. Chris has been serving our community as a mental health therapist ever since.
Now, with more then a decade of experience Chris has been able to empower people to achieve their individual goals by utilizing stregth based perspectives and Evidence based treatments such as EMDR, CBT, DBT, ACT, IMAGO and other client centered approaches. He strongly believes when you are able to provide hope for a person and help them discover the strength they have inside of them and you mix that with the guidance of science, honor the real life experience of the client, use sound clinical experience and judgment, and hold on to faith you are able to get true and sustainable positive life change.
Chris began his clinical practice by working in community mental health clinics where he became skilled at working with people who are recovering from trauma. It was during this time he began to really understand the meaning of proverbs 13:12 “Hope deferred makes the heart grow sick, but a longing fulfilled is the tree of life.” When a person is able to find hope, there truly is nothing that can stop that person from healing and achieving what they set the goals they set their heart on. Chris then began to work for his Alma Mater USI as a counselor and help students with their mental health, life stress, and at times crisis resolution. He also continued to serve the community to help other professionals gain licensure, serve on boards, and help host a few mental health support groups. In 2020, Chris began to work part time in private practice to better meet the changing needs of his family as he was blessed with two children and likes to spend as much time with them as possible.
Chris’s main life goal is to empower people through hope. Oftentimes it is very easy to lose hope when life gets hard, relationships struggle, grief sets in, pain becomes almost unbearable, or you just feel stuck and begin to think things can never change because you have tried so hard so many times and haven’t found they way yet. What is also true about those moments in life, when you are experiencing incredible stress; is that when youcan hold onto to hope and find a way to recover, you will be truly amazed about what you can overcome, become, and how beautiful life can be.
Angie Schwengel
Licensed Mental Health Counselor – LMHC
Angie Schwengel was born in southern Indiana and continues to reside there with her husband and two children. Angie is a licensed mental health counselor in Indiana. She received her Masters of Counseling degree from Liberty University and has been practicing counseling through community and faith based counseling centers since 2008. While receiving her Master’s degree in counseling, she worked as a case manager in specialized foster care supporting foster families and children with an array of social and emotional concerns. She went on to complete her counseling degree and gain experience counseling a variety of populations including families in crisis, foster care, adoptive families, and the general community before coming to work at Crossroads Christian Church’s counseling center in 2014, which has now merged with Always Hope Counseling. During her time at Crossroads, she worked with people from within and outside the Christian faith, sometimes even working through past wounds from faith-based organizations or assisting in addressing issues of spiritual abuse.
Angie works with children and adults ages 5 and above. She is experienced in play and sand tray therapy techniques for children. She utilizes an eclectic approach with concentrations in Cognitive-Behavioral and Person-Centered methodologies with adolescents and adults. Angie’s passion is to offer a whole person approach to counseling, one that focused on Spirit, Mind, and Body and to be used by God through the counseling process to bring ultimate healing.
The decision to talk to a therapist is an important one. Angie is passionate about the freedom that can be found through the therapeutic process and is excited to meet you where you are to walk alongside you or your child on the journey of healing.
Ellen Robinson
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist – LMFT
Ellen Robinson is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a heart for helping individuals, couples, and families find healing, restoration, and renewed purpose through faith-based counseling. With five years of clinical experience, she offers a warm, compassionate presence and a deep commitment to walking alongside others in both their struggles and their victories.
Ellen earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Oakland City University and completed her graduate studies in Marriage and Family Therapy at Liberty University. Her approach is grounded in both clinical wisdom and spiritual truth, integrating biblical principles with evidence-based therapeutic practices.
Ellen believes that lasting transformation happens when we invite God into the healing process. She is passionate about creating a safe space where clients can explore their stories, grow in self-awareness, and move forward in freedom and hope. Whether navigating anxiety, relationship challenges, or personal transitions, Ellen provides care that honors the whole person — heart, mind, and spirit.
Ann Smith
Licensed Clinical Social Worker – LCSW
Ann is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with an MSW in 2009. For the past 16 years, Ann has helped individuals, couples, and families walk through challenges with hope, clarity, and healing. She approaches therapy from a Biblical worldview, integrating Scripture and faith-based wisdom with best practice and evidence-based counseling methods such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Attachment Based Therapy, Gottman Couples Therapy, and trauma-informed care.
Ann’s goal is to reflect the love of Christ while equipping clients with practical tools for emotional, relational, and spiritual growth. She specializes in working with women, teens, and couples, addressing concerns such as anxiety, depression, abuse, grief, infidelity, relationship struggles, marriage and family, intimacy, identity, and life transitions.
With a lifetime of experience in school settings, church ministries, and private practice, Ann believes healing happens when we feel heard, safe, and supported. Whether you’re working through pain, exploring your identity, or seeking direction, she considers it a privilege to walk alongside you in your counseling journey.
Outside of counseling, Ann is a wife since 1988, mother to three married daughters, and a grandmother. She enjoys spending time with family, travelling, reading, and cooking new recipes. She has served her church in discipleship and small group leadership and draws strength daily from her relationship with Christ.
Jim Schroeder
Licensed Clinical Social Worker / Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist – LCSW LMFT
Jim Schroeder is a married family therapist with 4 adult married children and 24 grandchildren. He has worked at the United Methodist Children’s Home, Southwestern Indiana Mental Health Center, and Pain Clinics for the past 48 years.
He believes that everyone deserves and needs to verbally express their needs, significant thoughts, and feelings (26 emotions) on a daily basis.
He also believes that if those are not successfully expressed and understood, they will be exhibited in negative behaviors. And, if those needs, thoughts, and emotions are still not understood and responded to, the body will express them with DIS EASE, various pains, disorders, and physical suffering.
Relationships, along with “TIME AND ATTENTION,” and deep sleep are the key factors to emotional, physical, and mental health. Commitment and good social skills are also essential for financial, social and sexual health. Faith in God and helping the “least” is the foundation of our Spiritual Health.
The most important lesson provided to Jim by over 5,000 of his clients is this:
“SECRETS KEEP YOU SICK.”
Chelsae Backes
Licensed Clinical Social Worker – LCSW
Chelsae Backes, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker who works with adults experiencing depression, anxiety, and the effects of trauma. She supports individuals who feel overwhelmed or disconnected, helping them find clarity and a renewed sense of hope.
Chelsae believes healing is possible, even in seasons that feel heavy or uncertain. She approaches therapy as a space where clients can slow down, feel supported, and better understand themselves. Through a collaborative, client-centered process, she helps individuals reconnect with their strengths, build insight, and take meaningful steps toward growth and healing.
Chelsae was drawn to the field of therapy out of a desire to help people navigate their struggles and experience restoration. She views her work as a calling—an opportunity to walk alongside others in difficult seasons and to serve with compassion. Her faith plays an important role in shaping this calling and influences the heart she brings into her work.
She earned her Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Southern Indiana and has several years of experience working in both a trauma-focused agency and private practice. Throughout her career, Chelsae has walked alongside clients through times of struggle and change, and she considers it a privilege to be part of each person’s journey toward healing and wholeness.
Outside of her work as a therapist, Chelsae enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, traveling, and worship. She believes no one has to walk through life’s challenges alone and is honored to support clients as they move toward hope, healing, and meaningful change.
Lana Bunner
Licensed Clinical Social Worker – LCSW
Lana feels that walking with people through life’s difficulties and struggles is a privileged, honor, and part of her purpose in life. She commits her life to helping people find their way back to the paths that they want to be on to live out their purpose.
Lana has been an LCSW since 2011 and has experience working with children, adolescents, adults, and families. She specializes in issues of adjustment, trauma, depression, anxiety, crisis, grief, child and adolescent behaviors, and sexual abuse. She also has experience with talking with individuals with mood and personality disorders, PTSD, and issues surrounding divorce.
In your first session together, you will get to know each other and determine what the you hope to achieve in therapy. Her only goal during this session is to help you feel welcomed and safe. She will also set goals and begin to plan the therapeutic journey. However, this may look different for each person. She will move at the pace you feel most comfortable.
Lana’s strongest strength is being open minded and meeting people right where there are, in that moment. She enjoys her job! Her goal is to help her clients feel like they are free to express themselves and ask questions. She prides herself on keeping sessions “non-doctor” like and wants you to feel like you are at home and safe in the conversation.
The clients Lana is best positioned to serve are teens through adult and she has experience working with people that are struggling with depression, self-harming tendencies, eating disorders, anxiety, abuse, and neglect. She also enjoys and works with people that have been diagnosed with having Autism. In her years of experience, she has also worked in custody disputes, with sex trafficking victims, and with personality disorders. She is upfront with her approach but gentle with her presentation.
On a more personal level, she enjoys traveling and refers to herself as a coffee connoisseur. She likes to have a plan but believes some of life’s greatest adventures are found while taking the scenic route.
Leah Houghton
Licensed Clinical Social Worker – LCSW
Only Accepting Telehealth Clients
Leah is an experienced mental health clinician having worked in outpatient, inpatient, partial hospital, Veteran’s health, and crisis settings in her 23 years of mental health work and advocacy.
Growing up near St. Louis, Leah obtained her undergraduate degree from Truman State University before moving to Kansas City to complete her Masters in Social Work degree at the University of Missouri – Kansas City. Having planned to return to St. Louis upon completing her master’s degree, she quickly decided to instead settle in Chief’s Kingdom and make the area her home after meeting her husband, a Kansas City native, while in graduate school. She and her family relocated to the Evansville area a few years ago and they have enjoyed being a part of the community.
Leah believes that we are all created in God’s image, being fearfully and wonderfully made to be a whole person – mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Her best-practice approach incorporates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Solution-Focused Therapy, and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) strategies. As Certified Integrative Mental Health Practitioner, Leah also has a sincere passion for walking the journey of healing and health with each client through discussions on healthy lifestyle choices and integrating healthy somatic strategies whenever helpful.
In a world filled with so many “what ifs,” Leah has a sincere heart for individuals experiencing grief, depression, and anxiety. She truly believes we can meet the discomfort of uncertainty that comes from living in a fallen world with confidence and practical skills for living boldly.
Edie Webb
Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate – LMHCA
Edie is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate (LMHCA) and was born and raised across the river in Owensboro, KY and loves her Kentucky Wildcats! Edie is married and has a beautiful child who reminds her daily of God’s goodness. In her spare time, Edie loves to read, watch all things UK and NFL and she loves to golf.
After graduating from Kentucky Wesleyan College, Edie attended The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and received her Masters of Divinity in Biblical Counseling. She then pursued a Masters of Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of the Cumberlands and now holds licensure in the state of Indiana.
She has a passion for helping adolescents, teens and adults find their voice and their worth while meeting each client where they are. Being raised a pastor’s daughter and now being married to a pastor, Edie can relate to the unique walk of life in ministry and has a passion for walking alongside those in vocational ministry with church hurt and fatigue. Edie is solution focused and loves to help her clients set and achieve goals! God has shown Edie time and again that He is sufficient and His power is made perfect in our weakness. For this reason, she views counseling as her opportunity to minister to those walking through life’s hard seasons pointing client’s to Christ through the counseling process.
Edie views individuals as both body and soul, and her goal in counseling is to address both the physical and spiritual components of those in her care.
Edie knows reaching out for help can be scary, but absolutely worthwhile. God has gifted her with the ability and passion of being present with others. So whether you need a listening ear, biblical wisdom, coping techniques, or someone to sit in the silence with you, Edie would love to help.
Hollie Butler
Licensed Social Worker – MSW, LSW
Hollie Butler was born and raised in Evansville, Indiana. She graduated from the University of Southern Indiana in 2005 with her Bachelors of Social Work. She graduated with her Masters of Social Work and Substance Use Disorders certificate from the University of Kentucky in May of 2024. She has worked in the field for over 20 years, the majority of that time spent working in community health. She is skilled at working with people who have experienced trauma, people with substance use disorders, and people who struggle to keep healthy boundaries in relationships. Her passion is to help individuals, couples, and families become the healthiest, happiest versions of themselves. Hollie uses a person-centered, strengths-based, trauma-informed approach to helping individuals learn to love and accept themselves and cope with life’s challenges.
Savannah Patterson
Licensed Social Worker – LSW
Savannah Patterson moved to Evansville, Indiana a decade ago to pursue her education at the University of Southern Indiana where she completed both her undergraduate and graduate studies. During this time, she gained social work experience working with various in-home social services. She previously worked in program directing, including managing grants to serve those experiencing Substance Use Disorder in the community. Savannah currently holds a Masters of Social Work and is trained in EMDR. She has worked with people who have experienced trauma, people experiencing symptoms of anxiety, depression, PTSD, people with substance use disorders, and people developing skills for maintaining healthy relationships. Savannah has a passion to help children, adults, couples, and families become the healthiest, most holistic versions of themselves they can be.
Sarah Cannon
Counseling Student Intern
Sarah was born and raised in southern Indiana. She earned her undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Southern Indiana, where she also faced—and overcame—a life-threatening cancer diagnosis. That experience sparked a deep personal resilience and strengthened her desire to live wholeheartedly and help others do the same.
A mother of three, Sarah spent several years homeschooling her children—an experience she considers one of her greatest privileges. As her children grew, so did her passion for walking alongside others in their own life journeys. Since 2018, she has taught science at Evansville Christian School. She also served in ministry roles at a local church, supporting children, teens, and families through times of growth and healing.
Sarah is currently a student intern completing her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Grace College and Seminary. Under clinical supervision, she integrates emotion-focused and cognitive behavioral therapies, as well as somatic informed approaches, into her work. With a client-centered and faith-informed approach, she is passionate about helping individuals tap into their own resilience, identify areas for growth, and move toward greater wholeness and purpose.
In her counseling, Sarah creates a safe and nonjudgmental space for clients to explore complex emotions—especially those stemming from fractured relationships or painful experiences within their communities. She is committed to helping clients process hurt, rebuild trust, and rediscover a sense of belonging and peace. Her work is grounded in empathy, spiritual insight, and a deep belief in the dignity and strength of every person she serves.
Our Practice
Locations
1133 West Mill Road, Suite 211
Evansville, Indiana 47710
Make an Appointment
Please feel to send an email at office@alwayshopecounselingllc.com
or call 812-250-9255 to set up a time for you to chat and connect with us
Appointment Hours
Monday: 9am – 6pm
Tuesday: 9am – 6pm
Wednesday: 9am – 6pm
Thursday: 9am – 6pm
Friday & Saturday: As Needed